Are you OK with cookies?

We use small files called ‘cookies’ on victimscommissioner.org.uk. Some are essential to make the site work, some help us to understand how we can improve your experience, and some are set by third parties. You can choose to turn off the non-essential cookies. Which cookies are you happy for us to use?

Skip to content

Statement – Victims’ Commissioner responds to HMICFRS ‘State of Policing’ report

Published:

Too many victims of crime are still being let down by police who are failing to get the basics right, the chief inspector of constabulary has said in his annual report.

In his annual assessment of policing in England and Wales, the Chief Inspector of Constabulary Andy Cooke QPM DL has said that the police are still struggling to get the basics right.

The chief inspector described inconsistencies across police forces in responding to the public and investigating crime as “unjustifiable”.

He called for urgent improvements, stating that without fundamental reform to the criminal justice system, victims will continue to struggle to get access to the justice they deserve.

Responding to the findings, the Victims’ Commissioner welcomed the report and said “in the face of record court backlogs and a prisons overcrowding crisis”, fundamental reform of the criminal justice system is “clearly long overdue”.

Within his report, the chief inspector references the Victims’ Commissioner’s ‘2022 Victim Survey’, which was carried out to understand victims’ priorities and gain an insight into their experience of the criminal justice system. He said the 2022 survey results in relation to victims’ experience with the police paint a worrying picture. For example:

  • 71 percent of respondents were dissatisfied with the police response to their crime;
  • 59 percent of respondents felt the police didn’t take their claims seriously;
  • 82 percent of respondents weren’t confident that the police thoroughly investigated the crimes reported to them;
  • 34 percent of respondents said they wouldn’t report a crime to the police again; and
  • 29 percent of respondents were aware of the Victims’ Code.

He went on to say that the survey responses were “very concerning” and “must not be ignored”.

The survey paints a very poor picture of the experiences of victims of crime within the criminal justice system. Only 10 percent of respondents said that they were confident that the criminal justice system was effective. Only 17 percent felt that the criminal justice system was fair. And alarmingly, only 8 percent said they were confident that they could receive justice by reporting a crime. I echo the Victims’ Commissioner’s comment that “these statistics should serve as a wake-up call for all those involved in the justice system”. Victims should be, but are not, at the heart of the criminal justice system.
Andy Cooke QPM DL, Chief Inspector of Constabulary

Responding to the report, the Victims’ Commissioner for England and Wales, Baroness Newlove, said:

“I welcome this hard-hitting report from the Inspector of Constabulary, Andy Cooke. He says too many victims continue to be let down by the police, with trust and confidence in policing eroding due to allegations of police misconduct and a pervasive perception that the police are failing effectively to address crime. When victims lose confidence in the police, it impacts on all of us, with fewer crimes reported and criminals left to offend with impunity. It is essential we remedy this situation.

“Victims simply want decent treatment, procedural justice, and a thorough investigation. It’s about being seen and heard, and receiving the support they need to secure justice and to heal. Yet, in the last round of inspections by Andy Cooke and his colleagues, police forces received the worst grades for how well they responded to the public and investigated crime. The inspectorate continues to see widespread poor performance in these areas.

“In my last victim survey, which this report references in detail, I warned that its findings should serve as a ‘wake-up call’ to all in the justice system. Andy Cooke echoes these concerns and, in the face of record court backlogs and a prisons overcrowding crisis, fundamental reform is clearly long overdue. Until elements of the criminal justice system are fundamentally reformed, victims will continue to struggle to get the access to justice they deserve.”